I’m still in awe. Our incredible community fulfilled all of these wishes and hopes. Please understand that for many families there were multiple givers. I am overwhelmed, filled up, exhausted, and mostly—grateful. Grateful for the courage of the askers and grateful for the character of the givers. Grateful that we create the world we live in. Grateful that yesterday, you showed up and created a more beautiful world.

Here are just three of the families you showed up for yesterday:

You responded:

AND …

You responded:

AND …

You responded:

And those are just THREE of the families — out of hundreds and hundreds.

I just looked at the responses to the 34 people who wrote in asking simply for love notes from us. For many in this community, money can’t buy what they desperately need – emotional support from their sisters lifting them up with words of encouragement. In the midst of struggle and pain and loneliness, we all need to know that we are not alone — to hear others say: You got this, You are strong, You can survive this, I am here. This is why we keep our Together Letters program up year round:

I think maybe awed is the word for how I feel. Like I should take off my shoes because this is holy ground we’ve got here. We’ve created holy ground on the internet.

700 families will breathe easier this holiday season. We did that together. The holidays – which are supposed to be about Love and Mercy and Grace will be about Love and Mercy and Grace for them this year.

I know how it feels to be down and lost and empty and lonely and hurting and have a stranger offer a hand. Something shifts inside of you. I’ve felt that shift in hospitals and addiction meetings and in therapist’s offices and in churches and here in this community. Always here. It’s just everything- to be seen. To be loved when you’re DOWN – just for being a human being –without earning it. It’s everything. There is nothing else.

And for the givers – isn’t it wild? We spend so much time looking at the world with our hearts broken- wishing it were different. Wishing people cared for each other. Wishing people would be kinder, live bigger, think beyond themselves. Wishing. And then one day we find ourselves jumping in and MAKING IT SO. We stop wishing and DO. We CREATE. I cannot handle the truth of this: that you MADE A BETTER WORLD for seven hundred families. Do you see that? That these seven hundred families will go to bed tonight in a kinder, bigger, smaller, better world than the one they woke up in yesterday? That we all will?

IF YOU MISSED THE CHANCE TO GIVE: Please consider sharing this post and making a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation to support Together Rising by clicking HERE. We continue receiving and filling requests for holiday needs through mid-December — and we fill the needs of families all year long — so please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to help us continue to spread the love this holiday season. 100% of every dollar we receive from your individual donations will go directly to help other families. We not only serve folks through projects like Holiday Hands and Love Flash Mobs, but everyday your Together Rising team works to match folks in need with your generous gifts. Thank you!!!

LOVE G & Together Rising

P.S. Here are some reminders for all you Holiday Hands Love Warriors:

Important Notes for Listers:

You should have received an email letting you know that the listing was approved. Included in that email is a link to your listing. That link will be the easiest way for you to access your listing. Please review your listing and write a note to your givers in the “Leave a Comment” section acknowledging that you see their responses and are looking forward to connecting with them via email. Givers will not send their gifts until you list their name and identify what they are sending you in the comments section, so do not forget this important step.

You should receive emails from your givers at the email address you provided when you submitted your listing. Please respond back to them promptly.

Important Notes for Givers:

If you commented on a listing that you would contribute — even if others also commented there — please make sure you clicked on the “Contact” link at the top of the listing to send an email directly to the lister to let the lister know what portion of the listing you would like to meet and ask for the address where you should send your gift. Please also ask the lister to write a comment on the listing acknowledging that you have communicated and confirm what you will be sending.

Once you see your gift publicly acknowledged by the lister in the comments, please go ahead and send your gift. (Please do NOT send your gift until the lister has posted your name in a comment on the listing — this will help prevent duplicate gifts) Please try to send your gifts within a few days of your communication—the listers will be eagerly awaiting your response!

Important Notes if you missed Holiday Hands:

If you Missed the Holiday Hands Program and want to GIVE: We continue receiving and filling requests for holiday needs through mid-December, and we fill the needs of families all year long, so please consider making a one-time or monthly tax deductible donation to help us continue to spread the love this holiday season. 100% of every dollar we receive from your individual donations will go directly to help other families. We not only serve folks through projects like Holiday Hands and Love Flash Mobs, but every day your Together Rising team works to match folks in need with your generous gifts. You can give at https://togetherrising.org/give/.

Listen, We have not vetted and cannot vouch for requests made on the Facebook and Instagram pages and on the blog, so we are asking that no one attempt to make matches this way outside of the Holiday Hands program. Please honor our commitment to this community by bringing needs to us and by answering needs through us.

If you need Holiday Help, instead of posting your needs on social media here, which we can’t approve, please send your needs to us by filling out the form at http://togetherrising.org/request-help/ We accept requests for assistance throughout the year, and particularly respond to assistance for holiday type needs (e.g., toys, meals) until mid-December. Please submit an application at the link in the comments below.

Thank you, Glennon, Together Rising and Jessica (the amazing GIVER)!! With your help and love I was able to provide a family with very precious photo memories. I can not thank you enough for making beautiful things happen for so many!!!